Can air sealing be done without adding insulation?

Yes, but they’re usually best done together. The insulation has to be moved to reach the leaks, so it makes sense to top it up while the attic is open.

Does air sealing make the house too tight?

Sealing the attic floor stops uncontrolled leakage into a space where moisture causes damage. Your house still needs proper ventilation — working bath and kitchen fans in particular. If we see signs of a moisture problem inside the house, such as heavy window condensation, we’ll point it out.

Can you seal around pot lights?

It depends on the fixture. Some are rated to be covered and sealed; older ones can be a fire risk if insulation is packed against them. We identify which you have and recommend what to do about each one.

Attics

Attic Air Sealing Edmonton

Insulation Doesn't Stop Air. Sealing Does.

Warm air rises, and in a house it finds every gap in the ceiling on its way into the attic: the top of every interior wall, every light fixture, every pipe and wire, the chimney chase, the attic hatch. That air carries heat and moisture. In an Alberta winter the moisture hits the cold roof deck and turns to frost. Adding insulation over those leaks slows the heat, but the air — and the moisture — keep moving through it.

Where Attic Air Leaks Hide

These are the leaks we find most often in Edmonton-area attics:

Top plates of interior walls, especially in older homes
Pot lights and ceiling boxes
Plumbing vent stacks and wiring penetrations
Chimney and duct chases
The attic hatch itself — often unsealed and uninsulated
Bath and kitchen fan housings and their ducts
Dropped ceilings, bulkheads and split-level transitions

How We Air Seal an Attic

Find the Leaks

We pull back the insulation at the likely spots and look for the signs: dirty or darkened insulation where air has been filtering through it, open chases, gaps around penetrations.

Seal With the Right Material

Spray foam for gaps and penetrations, caulk for cracks, rigid blocking over larger openings, and appropriate fire-rated materials around chimneys and flues.

Deal With Fans and Fixtures

Bath fans ducted outside rather than into the attic. Pot lights that can’t be covered or sealed safely are flagged so they can be dealt with properly.

Seal and Insulate the Hatch

Weatherstripping and rigid insulation on the hatch — one of the biggest single leaks in many houses.

Re-Insulate

Insulation put back or topped up over the sealed ceiling.

What to Expect After

Less frost forming in the attic in cold weather

Fewer drafts and less dust coming through the ceiling

Insulation that performs the way it’s supposed to

A list and photos of what was sealed

Why Choose Homestead Insulation

We go into the attic before we quote — no guessing from the ground

Air sealing included in the scope, not sold as an extra

Soffit baffles and fan venting checked on every job

Even depth across the whole attic, with depth markers you can see

Our own crew — no subcontractors

Clear written quote before any work starts

Attic frost & ice dams Blown-in attic insulation Attic ventilation

Frequently Asked Questions

Get a Straight Answer About Your Insulation

Tell us what you're noticing — cold rooms, ice dams, frost in the attic, cold floors. We'll tell you what's actually going on.